


Behind the Mask

by FantasyScribe



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Connor Murphy Lives (Dear Evan Hansen), Bottom Jared, Clueless Evan, Connor and Evan are JUST friends, Everyone is 18 except Zoe, He solves his problems through alcohol and sarcasm, Internalized Homophobia, Jared is in therapy, Jared is two-faced, Kleinsen, M/M, Not treebros, Protective Jared, She is 17, There will be offensive terms used by Jared to cover himself up, Top Evan, alcoholic Jared Kleinman, no surprise there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 10:00:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15771849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasyScribe/pseuds/FantasyScribe
Summary: Jared Kleinman glared from around the corner as he stared at two boys down the hall. Connor Murphy was sketchy…no…he was shady as hell! What Evan saw in him, Jared would never know. Or, a story in which a pining Jared tries to steal the heart of one Evan Hansen from the evil Connor Murphy through a series of ridiculous high jinks despite going through his own personal issues.





	Behind the Mask

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a prequel, which is why it isn't that long. I plan on finishing Bonded first since I like to concentrate on one thing at a time. 
> 
> I'm looking forward to writing out these characters and working with DEH. After writing 3 hefty BMC stories I'm excited to be taking something different on. I'm pumped to get into the mind of Jared Kleinman! 
> 
> Any who, I hope y'all enjoy the beginning of Behind the Mask :D

 

“So, before we begin, would you prefer it if I call you Mr. Kleinman or Jared during our meetings?”

            “Jared is fine. Mr. Kleinman is my father,” Jared said as he wiggled his eyebrows at the younger woman flirtatiously.

The slim woman in the fancy pink blouse and freshly ironed black slacks gave a blank expression at his advance. Even a gay guy like him could see her natural beauty. Full pink lips, round blue-green eyes, and a heart shaped face surrounded by long strawberry blonde hair stared back at him knowingly.

            Jared didn’t like that look. It was as if she was seeing through his sarcastic, carefree demeanor. Despite his insecurity, he continued to look back at her with a smug smirk.

            “Okay, Jared it is then. My name is Katie Martin. You can call me Katie or Dr. Martin, whichever you prefer,” she said as she glanced at some papers in her hands before looking up at him again.

            “Alright, Dr. Martin,” he said with a smile.

            Doctor and patient sounded like some sweet sexual role play. Jared liked it, even if she was a girl.

            “Can you please tell me why you’re here with me today?” she asked, ignoring the way he caressed her title and name.

            He snorted in response with an eye roll.

            “My parents forced me to come. They got the idea from one of their friends since they make their kid go to these therapy things. I don’t see why I have to be here,” he said with a shrug.

            “Why did your parents make you come?” she asked.

            “They think I’m ‘depressed’,” he said, using air quotations as he said the word ‘depressed’.

            “Why would they think that?” she questioned.

            “They found me drunk a few times,” he said with another shrug.

            “Please tell me more about those times,” she said.

            “I don’t know what to tell you. I got bored, so I broke into my parents’ liquor cabinet and got wasted. Nothing more to it than that,” he said smirking.

            “How were you feeling before you decided to break into the liquor cabinet?” she asked.

            “I already told you. I was bored,” he said, lowering his smirk down slightly. This woman’s constant questions were starting to get on his nerves.

            “Most people drink alcohol to numb themselves to stressors in their lives. Alcohol is a temporary avoidance of an overall emotional or psychological issue. Do you identify with this?” she asked with a penetrating stare.

            “No. Can I leave now?” Jared asked, no longer smiling as he stood up. He was getting tired of talking with this woman.

            “We still have the rest of the hour your parents paid for,” she said as she watched him stand.

            “Well, I don’t care. I’m leaving,” Jared said as he walked towards the door.

            “Would you rather talk about something else? Maybe your friends, your parents, maybe even your girlfriend?” she asked calmly.

            Jared almost snorted at that last part.

            He gave a groan and sat back down on the black leather couch roughly. Killing an hour talking about what few friends he had, or his stupid MIA parents was the last thing he wanted to do today. Even more, he did NOT want to get into how he didn’t have a girlfriend and would never have one.

            “I’d rather talk about you,” he said with a wink in her direction.

            “Okay, what would you like to know?” she asked, playing along with him.

            “How old are you?” he began, trying to get on her nerves.

            “30,” she answered calmly.

            “Is there a Mr. Dr. Martin?” he asked.

            “No, just a Mr. Martin,” she said with a small, amused smile.

            “How did you two lovebirds meet?” he asked with a sly smile.

            “In college. I was majoring in psychology and him in engineering,” she said.

            “So, you picked a smart guy,” Jared said smugly.

            “Yes, he is very intelligent. Tell me, do you prefer ‘smart guys’?” she asked with a smile.

            Jared tensed as she gazed at him with a knowing look. He felt his face heat up at this line of questioning. How the hell did she find out? Not even his parents or Evan had found out!

            “I’m not a homo,” he gritted out. She looked at him in sympathy.

            “These four walls are a safe place, Jared. None of what we talk about will be discussed with your parents unless it involves your safety. Everything you say will be kept as confidential information,” she told him soothingly.

            “How did you know?” he asked quietly.

            “Overcompensation by flirting with me so blatantly was the first tip off. The major reason, however, was how you tensed when I brought up the prospect of you having a girlfriend. You don’t like people assuming things about you, do you?” she asked.

            The woman in front of him was talking as if she hadn’t just busted a gaping hole in his carefully created façade.

            “Who does?” he asked her with a sigh as he slipped his snarky mask off.

            “True. No one really enjoys being over analyzed or generalized, do they?” she asked rhetorically.

            Jared nodded in agreement.

            “When did you create this persona?” Dr. Martin asked curiously.

            “About six year ago. I was twelve,” Jared muttered.

            “Why?” she asked, putting her papers down beside her as spoke. “Why go through the trouble?”

            Jared shrugged.

            “I don’t really want to talk about that today,” he said.

            Dr. Martin frowned but didn’t push him for more information. He had said ‘today’ after all, not ‘never’.

            “Is there anyone you can talk to that you are more familiar with? It isn’t good to bottle up your feelings. That can prove to be stressful over time,” she said with a concerned expression.

            “There isn’t anyone I want to talk to. And there isn’t even anything to talk about,” he said heatedly.

            “The fact you are sitting here now says differently,” she pointed out in a sympathetic tone.

            “Look, I don’t know what my parents have talked about with you, but I don’t have issues. I’m just a teenager who drank his parent’s liquor while they were out,” Jared gritted out.

            “Six times,” she told him.

            “What the hell does that even mean?” he asked.

            “Your parents found you drunk six times in the past month,” she said bluntly. “That isn’t normal, Jared. We need to discuss the reason behind these occurrences.”

            “They aren’t even around! Did they tell you that? Five days out of the week they’re out of town for work! Like they give a damn what I’m doing! They just want a quiet yes-man who does whatever the hell they want when they want it! I don’t have to take their shit just because it is convenient for them!” he said as he stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

            Screw that lady! Screw his parents! Screw everyone!

            Jared didn’t have to answer to them. It’s not like they cared anyway. They were just tired of having to buy new liquor every time they got home. It was just inconvenient for them, not because they cared about Jared’s mental state or health. They hadn’t even stayed with him when he was in that shrink’s office. All his parents did was drive and drop him off without so much as a ‘good-bye’ or a ‘see ya later’.

            He was about to walk out the front door of the building when he heard a voice call out his name.

            “J-J-Jared?!”

            Jared turned to see Evan Hansen standing behind him with a confused expression.

            _Great…just the person I wanted to see_ , he thought sarcastically.

           


End file.
